Author(s): Cecile Pin

Fiction | Staff Favourites

'A deeply humane and genre-defying work of love and uncompromising hope' Ocean Vuong An extraordinary, original and heartbreaking debut novel about the bonds that connect people even when separated by seas or death itself, from a thrilling new voice.There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies - everything in between is speculation.One night, not long after the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh and Minh flee their village and embark on a perilous boat journey to Hong Kong. Their parents and four younger siblings make the crossing in another vessel but as weeks go by it becomes clear that only one party has survived the voyage.Anh, Thanh and Minh suddenly find themselves alone in the world, without family or home. They travel on, navigating refugee camps and resettlement centres until, by a twist of fate, they arrive in Thatcher's Britain. Here they must somehow build new lives with only each other to turn to, but will that be enough in a place that doesn't seem to want them?In this piercing debut, the siblings' faltering journey is deftly interwoven with the voice of their lost younger brother, Dao, following them from a place between the living and the dead, and the records of an unknown researcher intent on gathering together the strands of their story. Revelatory and inventive, Wandering Souls paints a heart-wrenching portrait of a family in unimaginable adversity while exploring the power of stories to heal generational wounds. It heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in fiction.

STAFF REVIEW by Amelia

“Wandering Souls" is a poignant narrative that follows the journey of a young family through love, loss, and unwavering hope in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Separated from their parents, siblings Anh, Thanh, and Minh navigate a perilous path to a new life in Thatcher's Britain. This novel explores the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of storytelling in the face of displacement and adversity.